Better Than This
by RaquelBelle
Summary: There is nothing worse than people denying their feelings. - This fic is for the ZoNa Summer Festival Event.
1. Prologue

Title:

_**Better Than This**_

Prologue

…

"Are you jealous?" The black-haired woman asked.

"Me? Jealous? Never!" The red-haired woman answered.

She was jealous. Of course she was! But she was not about to admit it to the archeologist. That would be accepting she liked that man and she would never admit to that.

"So does that mean you don't mind if Zoro starts dating Hiyori?"

_Is he going to start dating her? _

Did she care? Of course she did! She cared very much. No matter how infuriating that swordsman was, she would always care what happened. And she would always care who he decided to date.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! This is my first ZoNa fanfic. I truly hope you like it because this is literary one of my favorite ships ever! Zoro and Nami are meant to be.

This fic will contain a total of 5 chapters & a prologue, and it's for the ZoNa Summer Festival Event. I will be using three themes; these will be revealed as I update the fic (that means they will be all related to one another). The prologue, first chapter, and last chapter are unrelated to the themes, but they are important to the story. The story will contain no more than 10k words.

_Leave your comments and reviews and let me know if you like it! _

See you next time!


	2. Feelings

Title:

_**Better Than This.**_

Chapter One:

**Feelings**

…

She is utterly annoying and bossy. Things had to be her way or she'll attack anyone with her newest acquisition. That damn cloud was a danger to their health. When she wasn't ordering it to hurt you, she was charging them insane sums of money for imaginary favors. No, she wasn't kind. She was the devil in disguise!

And yet... He couldn't help to feel attracted to this terrifying woman.

Yes, Roronoa Zoro, the one destined to be the greatest swordsman, was absolutely crazy about a devil woman.

"I expect you to pay part of the sum by the end of the month, Zoro." He heard the devil woman say as she walked away from him swinging her hips from side to side.

Was she trying to tempt him? He didn't doubt it. Nami was known to charm men and use them later or steal their money. But he wasn't the kind of men, and her charms would never work on him. Yes, he was crazy about the woman, but he had excellent self-control.

"Yeah yeah" He muttered under his breath.

He watched her as she continued toward the kitchen, no doubt to flirt with the damn cook. Of course, everyone knew she only used him... including himself.

"Tch... Moron"

He wasn't sure how it started or when it started. Perhaps it was when they first met, or in Arlong Park when she jumped to the water to save him from drowning; maybe it started in Alabasta when they fought Daz Bones and Mrs. Doublefinger. In truth, that didn't matter. The timing or place was irrelevant. What matter was that somewhere and somehow it had happened, and at some moment in their journey together Zoro had fallen for the red-haired navigator.

But his feelings for her didn't matter. They couldn't be together.

A relationship between them was an impossibility. They were members of the same pirate crew, both Luffy's oldest crew members. If things went south and their relationship became sour, the crew would be losing one or perhaps two of their best crew members. Besides, that ero-cook would die of a love-stroke if his 'Nami-swan' were to be in a relationship with his sworn rival. Not to mention, the dynamic in the group would change completely.

No, they couldn't have a relationship while they were members of the same pirate crew.

"If only"

"If only what, Zoro?" Robin asked all of a sudden causing Zoro to startle.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Daydreaming again?" She asked with a smile.

"That's none of your business."

"Was it a something or… a someone?"

"Tch..." He said closing his eyes and choosing to ignore her.

There was no way he would have this conversation with Robin.

"Alright." She said taking a seat on the empty chair next to him.

He tried to ignore the uneasiness sensation he felt at the knowledge that the archaeologist knew about his feelings for the red-haired woman. But of course, she'd know, nothing ever escaped that woman. However, he was grateful Robin had never said a word about his feelings for Nami to anyone. Instead, she had kept it a secret from the crew, and on occasions, she came to his defense.

Robin was a good friend. He had always liked the woman. She was quiet and smart, but he wished she didn't have such a keen eye.

Deciding not to worry anymore, Zoro yawned and closed his eyes.

* * *

Once again he had chosen to ignore her. She couldn't stand him sometimes, and today was one of them.

In fact, it seemed that lately, she couldn't stand him. Not ever since she happened.

He was rude and uncaring. Never paid her any mind, and her tricks didn't work on him as it worked on other men. There was a point in their journey together that she thought Zoro could be gay. The man seemed oblivious to women charms. He ignored every woman that tried to approach him and treated them rudely.

And then, she happened.

Nami often wondered when did she start caring about Zoro this way. She couldn't remember ever feeling this way about the swordsman.

Everything had started in Wano when she had appeared in his life. It was then that the navigator realized her feelings for Zoro had changed, or perhaps they had always been there and she never noticed.

She liked him, and she couldn't deny it anymore.

"Ugh!" She said standing up abruptly from her desk. "What does he see in her!?"

Perhaps it was her beauty. Nami had to admit that Hiyori was a beautiful woman. She was also kind and weak, someone he could protect. Nami was no longer a weakling. She didn't need his protection. That had been more than clear in Wano where he had preferred to protect Hiyori instead.

Hiyori was also the daughter of a Samurai, and Nami was only the navigator. Wgat did she know about swordsmen or samurais? Of course, he was going to choose her.

"Yes, let that savage play hero to the little damsel in distress." She said more to herself. "Like I care!"

"Who are you talking to, Nami?" Chopper asked making her scream.

When did he get here? And how did he get so close to her? Has she been so distracted by her own thoughts that she hadn't heard him?

"Chopper! Why- how- w-when did you get in here!?"

"About two minutes ago, I've been calling you nonstop, but you were absorbed in your thoughts." He studied. "Are you feeling ill? Do we need a doctor!? DOCTOR! Oh, wait… I'm a doctor."

"I'm fine Chopper." She dismissed his concern. "Just thinking. What do you want?"

"Sanji is asking for your presence in the kitchen."

"I'll be right there, thank you Chopper."

She said going back to her map. The one she had been drawing before thoughts about Zoro and Hiyori assaulted her.

"Sure…" He said pausing by the door. "Say Nami, who is the savage hero and the damsel in distress?"

"W-what? You h-heard t-that?" She panicked.

Chopper nodded.

"It's n-no one i-important!." She said abandoning her maps in a hurry and walking toward the door where Chopper stood. "Let's forget about it and not make Sanji wait."

"Right!"

As they walked to the kitchen to meet the rest of the crew, she took note not to voice her thoughts in the Sunny.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thank you for those of you reading this fic. Your reviews mean lots to me!

If you think the characters are OOC, please do let me know. I want to make this fic as realistic as possible. Also, if there are errors or mistakes in grammar, I intend to edit this fic later once it's complete.

**Important: **This fic is sort of an AU. The straw hats already defeated Orochi and Kaido and left Wano. So it's set after the Wano Arc.

First theme chapter will be up tomorrow!


	3. Ice Cubes

Title:

_**Better Than This**_

Chapter Two:

**Ice Cubes**

…

This wasn't where he usually liked to take his nap. His favorite spot to sleep was on deck. However, today it was impossibly hot outside, so he chose to take his afternoon nap in the kitchen, next to the cooler. To keep himself cool.

The rest of the straw hats were either in their respective bedrooms or in Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper's case, on deck complaining about boredom and how hot summer was this year.

He didn't care for their complaints. He had other things to worry about. Like replying to Hiyori's constant letters. She had taken the time to write to him every month ever since they left Wano. The woman was clearly the clingiest girl he had ever met. He also didn't know how she managed to get a newspaper bird to deliver the letters every month.

Sanji constantly told him how ungrateful he was for not replying a lady her letters, especially someone as "beautiful as Hiyori-chan." Zoro could really care less. The only woman he cared about was Nami and she didn't know. Even if she did, he knew she wouldn't give a crap.

But he knew he had to respond sooner than later. The woman had been kind to him, and he cared about her to some extent.

He'll figure out what to write her later, for now, he'd allow himself to take a nap.

* * *

Dropping her pen, Nami gave up drawing the map she was working on. She wasn't able to focus ever since this morning.

When she approached the bird to pay for the newspaper, she wasn't expecting anything else. Then the stupid bird gave her a letter addressed to Zoro, and she just knew who could be sending him letters. It was that Hiyori. She had wanted to open it and read it, and she would have done it if it wasn't for Robin meddling in.

_"Is that another letter from Hiyori?" Robin asked_

_"It seems so." Nami had said as neutral as possible. _However_, deep inside she was drowning in jealousy._

_"Are you telling him?" Robin smiled knowingly and Nami resisted the urge to smack her across the face._

_It wasn't her friend's fault Hiyori's letters put her in a bad mood._

_"No, but since you're there, do you mind taking it to Zoro?"_

It shouldn't bother her this much, but it did.

Hiyori was clearly in love with him and she was a beautiful woman. It was only a matter of time before Zoro fell in love with her if he wasn't in love already. She knew the swordsman had yet to write to the woman, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he did it. This was the third letter he received from Hiyori. Zoro was a brute, but not completely insensitive.

The thought of him finally writing to that woman irked Nami to no end.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to concentrate on her drawings, the navigator decided to make a trip to the kitchen for a piña colada popsicle that Sanji had made just for her.

As soon as she opened the door to the kitchen, she saw the object of her turmoil, napping in the corner next to a cooler without a care in the world. Next to him was the stupid letter.

Nami felt the urge to hit him…

_Ugh!_

Looking at the cooler next to the swordsman, Nami came up with an idea.

Walking toward the cooler as stealthy as possible, she took a look at Zoro, making sure the swordsman was asleep. Once she was certain he wouldn't wake up any time soon, she opened the cooler and lift it up to dump the ice on his head. They were small ice cubes, perfect for her plan.

But soon she would realize her mistake.

As Nami lifted the cooler, she almost dropped it, making a lot of noise. She looked in horror as Zoro opened his eyes.

"What are you doing?" He asked staring at her.

"Me?" She said trying to hide her nervousness. "I was going to take this out on deck."

"Hm" Was the only sound he made before closing his eyes again.

Sighing in relief, she was about to turn around and walk away when she took another look at the letter next to him.

Something in her blood boiled.

"On second thought," she said mischievously. "I noticed you were a little hot so..."

As quick as lightning, Nami dumped the ice cubes on his head. She tried to make a run for it, but Zoro was quicker and grabbed her by her arm. She lost her balance and came crashing down with him.

"What was that about, Nami!?" He seethed.

She tried to wiggle herself out of his grasp but his hands were strongly holding her arms.

It was then that she noticed in the position they were in. She had landed on his lap and in her effort to rid herself from his hold she was straddling him. She froze in place.

"Why did you do that?" He growled making his hold on her stronger.

He obviously hadn't noticed in the compromising position they were in.

"It was a joke." She said trying to sound as natural as possible, but their position was making her nervous.

"Dammit! Who jokes like that Nami?" He said inching closer to her face in a menacing way.

Something in his eyes changed, and Nami swallowed hard.

"Z-Zoro?" Her voice was barely a whisper. "What are y-you doing?"

* * *

He didn't know what had gotten to him. Perhaps it was the heat of the moment or the fact that he was absolutely pissed off at Nami's little joke that distracted him from realizing their position

Suddenly, the air became thicker and hotter. The ice cubes she had thrown on him were melting, but he wasn't sure if they were melting from the summer heat or the heat of his own body.

His heart skipped a beat.

Something within snapped, and he found himself wanting to kiss her senseless; he wanted to show her how much he wanted her, to make her understand what his words would fail to describe.

"Z-Zoro?" He heard the woman say. "What are y-you doing?"

It was a miracle he had heard her at all. Her voice was only a whisper.

Only then did he realize he was inching closer. He could close the gap if he wanted to, they were so close, and he wanted to. But he couldn't. He wouldn't, so he let her arms go and in a swift move he helped her to get up.

He stood up and walked past her.

"Where are you going?" He heard her ask.

"To take a nap."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" She asked and he had half a mind to ignore her.

"What?"

"You gotta clean this mess, Zoro." She said smiling innocently.

"Eh!?" He narrowed his eyes at the navigator. "You were the one who dumped that ice on me!"

"I was only doing you a favor."

"What!?" Forget kissing her, he wanted to kill her. "Devil woman" He muttered to himself before heading out of the kitchen.

It was best to ignore her.

"Sanji won't be happy!" She called from the kitchen as he closed the door behind him.

He decided he'll deal with the ero-cook later.

…

Nami stood there watching as he left her in the kitchen. She knew she had gone too far, and deep down, she felt a little bad for him.

It was very likely that Sanji would be beyond upset with Zoro when he finds out the ice, now a puddle was all over the floor.

"I guess it is my fault." She sighed in resignation.

Taking the mop, she began to clean the puddle of water. She'll tell Sanji she had accidentally dropped the cooler while trying to move it.

"This little favor will cost you, Zoro." She said smiling to herself.

* * *

**Author's Note:** The ending was a bit abrupt, but honestly I can't think of anything else.

Anyway, thank you all for your follows, faves, and reviews. I hope you like this chapter. I know it took me forever to update, but life is keeping me very busy. I hope to be able to update soon.

_Let me know if you like it! _


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